Second Regional Dialogue on WTO Accessions for the Greater Horn of Africa

OPENING SESSION

Moderator: Ms. Maika Oshikawa, Director, Accessions Division, WTO

13:30 - 14:00

Opening Ceremony

• Remarks by Ambassador Alan Wm. Wolff, Deputy Director-General, WTO
• Remarks by Mr. Rajesh Aggarwal, Chief, Trade Facilitation and Policy for Business, ITC
• Remarks by H.E. Mr Hassan Houmed Ibrahim, Ministre Délégué Chargé du Commerce, des PME, de l'Artisanat, du Tourisme et de la Formalisation, Djibouti

Followed by Group Photograph

SESSION 1

Recent Developments in the Greater Horn of Africa

Moderator: H.E. Ms. Kadra Ahmed Hassan, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Djibouti in Geneva

Since the first Dialogue held in Nairobi in August 2017, there have been several developments that have impacted the trade relationships among the countries in the Horn of Africa. These include, inter alia, the establishment of the Working Party on the Accession of South Sudan and of the g7+ WTO Accessions Group at the WTO 11th Ministerial Conference in December 2017, the conclusion of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in March 2018, and more recently, the historic peace agreements signed between several countries in the region. It is critical that the benefits from these developments be fully harnessed through deeper integration both at the regional and global levels, including through WTO accession. In this session, experts from regional institutions in Africa will provide insights on the recent economic developments in the region and Ministers/Chief Negotiators from Acceding Governments in the Greater Horn of Africa will provide updates on their respective accessions since the first Regional Dialogue.

14:00 - 15:30

(10 minutes per Speaker)

Recent Economic Developments and Regional Integration in the Greater Horn of Africa

• Mr. Joseph Rwanshote, Program Manager (Trade, Industry and Tourism), IGAD

Accession State of Play - Overview

• Ms. Maika Oshikawa, Director, Accessions Division, WTO

Accession State of Play - Recent Developments

• H.E. Mr. Assoumani Youssouf Mondoha, Permanent Representative of the Union of the Comoros to the African Union
  Presentation
• Representative of Ethiopia
• H.E. Mr. Dahir Adan Abdullahi, State Minister for Commerce and Industry, Somalia
• H.E. Mr. Paul Mayom Akech, Minister for Trade, Industry and EAC Affairs, South Sudan
• H.E. Mr. Musa Mohamed Karama, Minister of Industry and Trade, Sudan
• Mr. Expedito Genaro Osâ Nsomboro Okomo, Focal Point of the Enhanced Integrated Framework Program, Ministry of Commerce and Business Promotion for Small and Medium Companies, Equatorial Guinea

Followed by Open Discussion

SESSION 2

From Fragility to Resilience: WTO Accession as a Pathway to Peace

Moderator: Ambassador Alan Wm. Wolff, Deputy Director-General, WTO

Trade liberalization through WTO accession and/or regional integration can create a competitive business environment, which in turn can foster the efficient allocation of economic resources, enhance output and productivity, and, increase overall welfare gains. The reformative nature of the WTO accession process provides an avenue for fragile economies to institutionalize international best-practices in trade-related issues. Such reforms have proven to yield positive results as most economies that underwent the WTO accession process have exhibited more resilience in response to crises. Regional integration further complements these reforms by fostering synergy and harmony between neighbours in the conduct of trade which alleviates the proliferation of inter-state conflicts. This session aims to examine the correlation between "trade" (whether multilateral or regional) and "peace" through various perspectives.

15:45 - 17:00

(10 minutes per Speaker)

Empirical Evidence Appraising Trade for Peace

• Mr. Michael Ferrantino, Lead Economist (Trade & Competitiveness), World Bank
• Mr. Caiphas Chekwoti, Trade Policy Expert, TRAPCA

Followed by Open Discussion

17:00 - 18:00

Davos-Style Discussion "Assessing the Impact of WTO Membership on Peace-Building"

• H.E. Mr. Mohammad Qurban HAQJO, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of Afghanistan in Geneva
• Ambassador Zorica Maric-Djordjevic, Former Permanent Representative of Montenegro to the WTO
• Mr. Nagib Hamim, Economic Attaché, WTO Affairs, Permanent Mission of Yemen in Geneva
• Ms. Emilia Malavoloneque, Corporate Communications Strategist, Grupo Neosol
• Mr. Mohamed Ali Hassan, Secrétaire Général du Ministère des Affaires Etrangères, Djibouti

Followed by Open Discussion

18:00 - End of day 1

20:00 Dinner Hosted by the Government of Djibouti [TBC]

SESSION 3

WTO Accession and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)

Moderator: Mr. Michael Ferrantino, Lead Economist (Trade & Competitiveness), World Bank

All nine African Acceding Governments have signed the consolidated text of the AfCFTA at the 10th Extraordinary Summit of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government held on 21 March 2018. The achievements and challenges of the Agreement and its benefits to African Acceding Governments will be explored by the speakers. The session will also provide insights on the business implications of the AfCFTA and the future of African trade.

09:00 - 10:30

(10 minutes per Speaker)

The AfCFTA Negotiations - Achievements and Challenges

• Ambassador Chiedu Osakwe, Nigeria's Chief Trade Negotiator and Former Chairperson of the Negotiating Forum of the AfCFTA
• Dr. Mag-Teerey, Director of the Research Center, University of Djibouti

Maximizing the Benefits of the AfCFTA through WTO Accession

• Ms. Maika Oshikawa, Director, Accessions Division
• Ms. Mariam Soumaré, Junior Trade Policy Analyst, Accessions Division

Followed by Open Discussion

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10:30 - 10:45 Coffee Break

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10:45 - 12:30

(10 minutes per Speaker)

Insights into the Business Implications of the AfCFTA

• Mr. Rajesh Aggarwal, Chief, Trade Facilitation and Policy for Business, ITC

Commentators:

• Comoros - Mr. Youssouf Abdoulhalik Fakriddine, Secrétaire Général/Mr. Housni Mohamed Abdou Conseiller du Président - UCCIA
• Ethiopia - Mr. Melaku Ezezew, Yeniene, President, Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations/ Mr. Endalkachew Sime Degaga, Secretary General, Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations
• Somalia - Mr. Osman Abdullahi Nur, Secretary General Somali Business Council/ Mr. Duale Hashim Ismail Deputy Director, Chamber of Commerce
• South Sudan - Mr. Buot Manyiel Buot Kon, Lawyer/ Mr. Yowa Asholy Dia Soso, Chairman of Shippers Council South Sudan
• Sudan - Mr. Abdalla Idris Mohamed Elbashir/ Mr. Bakri Yousif Omer Osman, Sudanese Businessmen Association

Followed by Open Discussion

SESSION 4

WTO Accession - Capacity Building through Peer-Learning

Moderator: Ms. Maika Oshikawa, Director, Accessions Division, WTO

Peer-learning remains one of the most effective ways to build accession-related capacity. For the past year, the WTO Secretariat has invested significant resources and effort in the expansion of outreach activities and the establishment of platforms aimed at promoting dialogue among Acceding Governments, especially LDCs. Such platforms include inter alia (i) the g7+ WTO Accession Group - a group of conflict affected acceding LDCs and recently acceded LDCs, coordinated by Afghanistan; (ii) the Informal Dialogue of Acceding LDCs - a periodic dialogue among Acceding LDCs; and (iii) the Informal Group of Acceding Governments (IGAG) - a group of Geneva-based Acceding Governments, coordinated by Belarus. The current set of Acceding Governments in the Greater Horn of Africa are in different stages of the WTO accession process. While Somalia and South Sudan are in the preparatory phase, Comoros, Ethiopia and Sudan are well advanced in the negotiations. This session thus aims to provide a platform for Acceding Governments to learn about the best-practices in different stages of the WTO accession process from their peers as well as Article XII and Original WTO Members.

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14:00 - 16:00

(10 minutes per Speaker)

Best-Practices in the Preparatory Phase of WTO Accession

• Ms. Mariam Soumaré, Junior Trade Policy Analyst, Accessions Division, WTO
• Representative of Somalia
• Representative of South Sudan
• Representative of Equatorial Guinea

Commentators:

• Representative of Comoros
• Representative of Ethiopia
• Representative of Sudan
• Ms. Cecilia Klein, Consultant for WTO Accessions and Compliance, Former USTR Director for WTO Accession

Best-Practices in the Negotiation Phase of WTO Accession

• Ms. Juneyoung Lee, Accessions Division, WTO
• Representative of Comoros
• Representative of Ethiopia
• Representative of Sudan

Commentators:

• Ambassador Zorica Maric-Djordjevic, Former Permanent Representative of Montenegro to the WTO
• Mr. Nagib Hamim, Economic Attaché, WTO Affairs, Permanent Mission of Yemen in Geneva
• Ms. Cecilia Klein, Consultant for WTO Accessions and Compliance, Former USTR Director for WTO Accession

Followed by Open Discussion

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16:00 - 16:15 Coffee Break

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16:15 - 17:30

Round Table Discussion "The Role and Responsibility of the Chief Negotiator"

Moderator: Ambassador Chiedu Osakwe, Nigeria's Chief Trade Negotiator and Former Chairperson of the Negotiating Forum for the AfCFTA

• H.E. Mr. Assoumani Youssouf Mondoha, Permanent Representative of the Union of the Comoros the African Union
• Representative of Ethiopia
• H.E. Mr. Dahir Adan Abdullahi, State Minister for Commerce and Industry, Somalia
• H.E. Mr. Paul Mayom Akech, Minister for Trade, Industry and EAC Affairs, South Sudan
• H.E. Mr. Musa Mohamed Karama, Minister of Industry and Trade, Sudan

17:30 - End of day 2

SESSION 5

Stakeholder Inclusiveness in Trade and WTO Accession

Moderator: Mr. Rajesh Aggarwal, Chief, TFPB, ITC

The WTO accession process provides an avenue to establish an inclusive and collaborative mechanism among key stakeholders within an economy i.e. private sector, parliamentarians etc. This session will provide a platform for the private sector, WTO Members including Working Party Chairpersons, and representatives of WTO partner institutions, to share their perspectives on WTO accession including its contributions to peace-building.

09:00 - 10:30

(10 minutes per Speaker)

• Accession - Perspectives of the Private Sector
• Comoros - Mr. Youssouf Abdoulhalik Fakriddine, Secrétaire Général/Mr. Housni Mohamed Abdou Conseiller du Président - UCCIA
• Ethiopia - Mr. Melaku Ezezew, Yeniene, President, Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations/ Mr. Endalkachew Sime Degaga, Secretary General, Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations
• Somalia - Mr. Osman Abdullahi Nur, Secretary General Somali Business Council/ Mr. Duale Hashim Ismail Deputy Director, Chamber of Commerce
• South Sudan - Mr. Buot Manyiel Buot Kon, Lawyer/ Mr. Yowa Asholy Dia Soso, Chairman of Shippers Council South Sudan
• Sudan - Mr. Abdalla Idris Mohamed Elbashir/ Mr. Bakri Yousif Omer Osman, Sudanese Businessmen Association

Commentator:

• H.E. Mr. Mohammad Qurban HAQJO, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of Afghanistan in Geneva

Followed by Open Discussion

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10:30 - 10:45 Coffee Break

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10:45 - 12:30

(10 minutes per Speaker)

• Accession - Role and Contribution of WTO Members and Partner Institutions
• Ambassador Zorica Maric-Djordjevic, Former Permanent Representative of Montenegro to the WTO
• Mr. Alexei Kireyev, Senior Economist and Former IMF Representative to the WTO (Presentation via Skype)
• Mr. Daniel Muturi, Programme Manager, TradeMark East Africa
• Mr. Michael Ferrantino, Lead Economist (Trade & Competitiveness), World Bank
• Mr. Rabibah Mateen, Country Director, USAID
• Mr. Melaku Geboye Desta, Principal Regional Advisor, UNECA

Followed by Open Discussion

CLOSING SESSION AND ADOPTION OF THE OUTCOME DOCUMENT

12:30 - 13:00

• Ms. Maika Oshikawa, Director, Accessions Division, WTO
• Mr. Rajesh Aggarwal, Chief, Trade Facilitation and Policy for Business, ITC
• H.E. Mr Hassan Houmed Ibrahim, Ministre Délégué Chargé du Commerce, des PME, de l'Artisanat, du Tourisme et de la Formalisation, Djibouti

SPECIALIZED TRAINING BY THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE CENTRE

Open for Business: Launching a National Brand

09:00 - 11:00

A Resilient Private Sector for a Resilient Country

• Mr. Rajesh Aggarwal, Chief, TFPB, ITC

Export and Investment Promotion Strategies

• Mr. Rajesh Aggarwal, Chief, TFPB, ITC

Followed by Open Discussion

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11:00 - 11:15 - Coffee break

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11:15 - 12:30

Championing a National Branding Agenda - the Role of the Private Sector, Women and Youth

• Mr. Giles Chappell, Trade Policy Advisor, TFPB, ITC
• Ms Rahma Omar, Doing Business reforms, National Investment Promotion Agency (NIPA)

Leveraging Media to Develop a National Image

• Ms. Victoria Tuomisto, Associate Expert, ITC

Followed by Open Discussion

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12:30 - 14.00 - Lunch Break

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14:00 - 17:00

A business-friendly agenda for a country - A comparative analysis

• Introduction: Mr. Giles Chappell, Trade Policy Advisor, TFPB, ITC

Moderator: Mr. Rajesh Aggarwal, Chief, TFPB, ITC

Commentators:

• Comoros - Mr. Youssouf Abdoulhalik Fakriddine, Secrétaire Général/Mr. Housni Mohamed Abdou Conseiller du Président - UCCIA
• Ethiopia - Mr. Melaku Ezezew, Yeniene, President, Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations/ Mr. Endalkachew Sime Degaga, Secretary General, Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations
• Somalia - Mr. Osman Abdullahi Nur, Secretary General Somali Business Council/ Mr. Duale Hashim Ismail Deputy Director, Chamber of Commerce
• South Sudan - Mr. Buot Manyiel Buot Kon, Lawyer/ Mr. Yowa Asholy Dia Soso, Chairman of Shippers Council South Sudan
• Sudan - Mr. Abdalla Idris Mohamed Elbashir/ Mr. Bakri Yousif Omer Osman, Sudanese Businessmen Association